Baja Bound

We logged 1157 Miles in 18.5 hours on our drive from Las Vegas to La Paz. The drive to the border was the most agonizing. California had road construction that reduced traffic to one lane, we sat at a standstill multiple times waiting for our pilot car escort. It was a very slow start...

We made it to the border crossing outside Mexicali just before 2pm. It was a mighty good thing, too, little did we know the INM office closed at 2 o'clock. We assumed they kept the same hours as the crossing. We needed to pay for our FMM since we'd be staying longer than 7 days 575 pesos or $30 US. We were thankful we lucked out. 

We were unsure of how to access the office from the left lanes (nothing to declare) so we instead entered right and were subject to search. Inspection was brief, and they kindly pointed out the proper set of doors for us to obtain our FMM when we questioned, "Donde es FMM?" 

Fortunately, the drive to San Felipe is familiar and it proved to be quick and effortless. We stayed at Frank's uncle's house in El Dorado Ranch. We were enjoying Chiles Gueritos con Camaron at La Vaquita Norte in no time. We followed up with a couple drinks at San Felipe Brewery, which expanded a few months ago to a new location even closer to El Dorado Ranch. 

We basked in the moonlight on the roof top terrace, and then woke in enough time to watch the sunrise. Then, we headed out straight away. Our second day of driving was uncharted territory - to us, anyway. We heard the new highway made the drive easier, but we never imagined how nice it would be. Google didn't acknowledge the new route so we continuously shaved off minutes and eventually hours from our drive time. It was fantastic.

We crossed into Baja Sur way earlier than expected and we were delighted that we were able to arrive in Loreto well before sundown. So much so, we even considered making our way all the way to La Paz, but our favorite hotel HBlue was fully booked. We opted to take it as a sign to stay the night and finish the drive in the morning. I made a last minute reservation on booking.com for Hotel 1697. It was a cute boutique hotel with ideal location right near the plaza and walking distance to the malecon. 

It was a much better experience than our last accommodations in Loreto. A couple years back, we stayed at Loreto Bay Golf Resort & Spa. On the surface it was nice enough, but in reality it was a bit of disaster. We made several room changes, the gamut included everything from finding crumbs in bed to an air conditioner that apparently identified as an ice maker... At 2AM it started spitting out ice cubes like it was happy hour.

We had dinner at Mi Loreto. We had both of the house specialties: mole and chile rellenos. Neither disappointed. The city was exceptionally quiet. Alcohol was only sold at a few places in attempts to keep crowds at a minimum, The usual cruise along the malecon was only a few cars. The precautions to minimize the spread of coronavirus is no different from upper to lower baja. To gain entry into any business: you must be masked, you step into disinfecting solution, hands are sanitized with antibacterial gel and your temperature is taken. I appreciate consistency in measures taken - It was so different last month when traveling around Southern California. Procedures varied widely between LA, Orange and San Diego counties. It grew tiresome to learn & adjust to each new drill.

Again, we were up at dawn and on the road shortly after. Frank was eager to arrive in La Paz before the NFL games kicked off. The rest of the drive was seamless and we easily coordinated meeting our property manager. We settled right into our new casa well before football was underway.

February, At Last!

Was January not the longest month in history?! I've never so happy to welcome February. It shouldn't have been bad. We traveled each and every weekend; making every attempt to dodge the cold. Unfortunately, it follows us everywhere we go.

Laughlin seemed like a good way to kick off the 2020 travels. We had a nice time, but brrr! I don't think we've ever felt it so cold. Thankfully, the machines were warmer. I was able to break even after a long run playing video poker.





The following weekend we tried our luck in San Diego. It was sunny, but cool. We ran across the border chasing the sun, but winter was there too. At least, tacos make everything better. We also snuck in one last visit to Con Pane Bakery. When, we were noshing on the best damn sandwiches (Italian on Rosemary and PB&J) and cinnamon bun known to man we had no idea it would be the last. They closed permanently two days later. The news was devastating! I'm so glad we got one last taste.



The third weekend of January, we were back in Mexico. This time we drove down to San Felipe, we met Frank's family in El Centro. They flew in from Chicago, and would stay at his uncle's house in El Dorado Ranch. We rented an Airbnb nearby. We stopped for lunch in Mexicali on the way. We've been told the Chinese food is amazing. Who would have thought that, but it's true. It was fantastic. I love the twist and fusions too like limes on the table; avocado or chorizo in the fried rice. The flavors were spot on, but somehow, brighter, with farm fresh produce. It was a delight, and a must stop on all future trips.



We had nice visit with his mom, Dennis, aunt and uncle. We grabbed bites at all our favorites, we discovered, Restaurant Toro; a new (to us) diner with killer breakfast and revisited the Valle de Gigantes. It's too beautiful not to repeat and it was neat to show Dennis. Living in KY, he's not seen anything quite like it.





The next weekend we traveled to Austin. Frontier was offering dirt cheap fares we could not refuse. When the drinks on board cost more than the flight itself how can one refuse? Plus, BBQ. I mean there is no arm twisting here. Better yet, I snagged my favorite hotel - the Fairmont - on Hotwire. Sometimes the stars just align. We were also able to meet up friends from Chicago and grab a bite with Frank's coworker born and raised in Austin. We gorged ourselves silly on brisket, links and ribs. Smoked turkey and Frito Pie can be included in the lot. No matter how often we visit I am still stunned by the sheer number of BBQ joints and shocked by how many are outstanding. We are always on a quest to try them all.

 

This time a dent was made by trying Terry Black's and La Valentina. We revisited old favorites like Rudy's, Cooper's and Stile Switch. And to further prove that kismet exists and we are meant to be happy, our favorite whiskey bar in Los Angeles is now open is Austin too. But wait for it... Seven Grand is connected to a Mezcaleria... by a cigar friendly patio. It could not have been more perfect. Although, we did kick a dead rat on the way back so do not be mislead I am not able paint a complete picture of perfection. Curious, though, is that bad luck or good luck since it's the year of the rat? I guess we'll see how the year pans out. For now, I'll default to my belief that there is an ebb and flow to all things. The universe, included. To further prove the notion, winter followed us to Texas too. Pity was taken on us on our last day. The sun shined and offered hope that warmer days are ahead. I soaked up every last drop!





 

January concluded with a trip to the south. We thought we'd be welcomed with sunshine and warmer temperatures than home but the joke was on us. A cold front met us in New Orleans and hung around for the entire Superbowl weekend in both MS and AL. I mean we experienced cooler than normal temps in three states; only to return home to a cold blast. It dropped 30 degrees in 24 hours. Dust off the hot hands. Winter isn't over yet.

Fairhope, Alabama

 

Mobile, Alabama

 

New Orleans, Louisana

 

 


 




Biloxi, Mississippi



 



 

 

¡Hasta Luego!

We stocked up on Topo Chico mineral water, topped of the gas tank and said so long to family before hitting the road. Our time in San Felipe had come to an end. We came across little traffic on Wednesday morning. It was smooth sailing after the military check point. We skipped breakfast, so we snacked on enchilada peanuts that we had picked up at the market earlier. Frank went to open a bottle of Topo Chico we had left in his uncle's fridge (which kept such a low temp that items were freezing). The water is under pressure as is, and combined with the frigid temp to which it was chilled it completely erupted as he nudged the cap. I died laughing. I could hardly catch my breath. I'm not sure what part was more priceless - the fact that Frank has been getting me with water and ice for nearly 20 years and karma finally struck or the look of utter shock on his face with water dripping, from, well, everywhere. I hand him a tissue, like it was going to help. Hilarious. I did eventually grab the beach towel so Frank could dry the thousands of beads of water. His lap, however, would take a while to dry...



The highway is in great shape and there are long straight-a-ways, Frank was cruising along, the needle was buried easily. The gauges in his truck covert to metric so mph are not shown. Once the needle hit 140 KM we really didn't know how fast we were going, but we'd soon learn. Further up the road, federal police was monitoring the speed of oncoming traffic. He flipped his lights on and busted a U turn as soon as we neared the squad car. We were clocked at 155 KM when 80 KM was posted. After Frank showed his license and vehicle registration; the officer asked him to step out of the vehicle and walk down to his car. We speak little Spanish and he spoke little English, but we understood. Frank waited while he hand wrote the ticket, he was given instruction to pay the fine online, and then, we were free to go.



When we arrived in Mexicali, we completely missed the sign suggesting to turn for the border crossing. We had to go around twice before we spotted it. I expected large overhead signs, not some wee little sign that was barely a two feet wide.



We navigated our way to the proper lanes, we have Global Entry, but not SENTRI so no expedited wait for us. Still, it only took about 20 minutes to cross the border at Calexico. The border crossing agent asked, "both American?" Yes, Frank replied, as handed over our passports. He added we had nothing to declare. After a quick glance the were returned and we were on our way. It could not have been simpler.





After returning home, Frank learned from our dry cleaner that a new larger border crossing has opened that is even quicker to pass through. We'll have to locate that crossing next time.

We will be back.

Valle de los Gigantes

A short drive from the coastal town of San Felipe lies the Valley of the Giants. Which is home to the cardón cacti, the tallest growing cactus in the world. Often mistaken as saguaros, these cacti have a life span of up to 300 years and can grown as tall as 70 feet.

From San Felipe, you head south on highway 5 until you reach Punta Estrella near KM 14 you'll spot the turnoff for the Valle de los Gigantes on the right. The cost is $10 US per car to enter the park.

If visiting without a 4x4 vehicle much of the forest will be inaccessible. Though, it's still well worth the trip to see these giants. Fortunately, we were equipped with 4WD and we had full access. The cacti are mighty impressive and the ocotillo are also the largest I've seen. Palo verde also dot the beautiful desert landscape.